A novel test rig for the investigation of roller-cage impact of a needle roller bearing

Abstract

Abstract The collisions between the roller and cage result in crack initiation and propagation leading to the fracture of the cage bridge. The impact forces applied to the needle roller-bearing cage bridge can change the cage's strain distribution, which is related to the relative speed of the roller and cage. In this work, a needle roller bearing roller-cage impact test rig is built to quantify cage strain and investigate the speed impacts on roller-cage impact forces. On the cage bridge, three crack sizes are machined and put on the needle roller bearing roller-cage impact test rig. The strain is measured by the strain gauge positioned on the cage. The encoder measures the shaft speed. The effects of impact speed and crack size on roller-cage impact force and cage deformation are investigated.